by Paul Myerberg and Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg and Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to another session of Bracket Briefing, our attempt to provide you with essential information on the Big Dance - forecasting the Ali Farokhmaneshes before they spark the upset we'll be talking about for days.

The first word: If you're that person who was forced to work today, we're sorry. But you can breathe easier knowing that it hasn't happened. Yet. You already know what we're talking about: The upset. Not the No. 9 over the No. 8 seed. The big one that becomes legendary. Davidson almost staged another Cinderella highlight, but saw its upset bid slip away against Marquette. In tonight's slate of games, there are still plenty of opportunities to see one of the Davids take down a Goliath.

The best bet: No. 11 Belmont vs. No. 6 Arizona.

President Obama turning Belmont into the upset pick could be a double-edged sword because as Bruins coach Rick Byrd puts it, "now it's fashionable." Obama wasn't far off with his choice in a veteran-laden Belmont team led by long-range specialist Ian Clark. Arizona swingman Kevin Parrom said the Wildcats will be playing "with a chip on our shoulder."

What you missed earlier: Six teams have already punched their tickets to the next round.

-Marquette 59, Davidson 58. Marquette's Trey Blue made a lay-up with one second left to extinguish any '08 emulations by the Wildcats.

Brick city: The story line seemed so good: A mid-major giving the Cinderella-turned-elite program a taste of its own medicine. Butler wasn't having it. Butler and Bucknell combined for 35 points in the first half (while combining to shoot about 29% from the field), so it's no surprise that the basketball clanked off the rim:

The two heated up in the second half - relatively speaking - with Bucknell's Joe Willman nailing five jumpers over the first 10 minutes while the Bulldogs found their groove from deep. Butler pulled away late, outscoring the Bison 28-17 in the final eight minutes to earn a 68-56 win. The Bulldogs meet the winner of Marquette-Davidson in the round of 32.

Fashion statement: President Obama took a dig at Notre Dame's hideous green jerseys when filling out his tournament bracket with ESPN's Andy Katz. Said Obama, "I am wearing a green tie today because we've got the Irish prime minister visiting, but that neon glow thing wasn't working for me."

Notre Dame's response to Obama's comments? The university shipped a customized jersey ("Obama," No. 44) over to the White House, giving Obama another collectible for his closet.

GIF game: We're not sure if this is a thing for Butler, but we know we like it. After the Bulldogs nailed a three in the second half against Bucknell, one player on the bench showed his approval with (our phrase) the three-point monocle.

Nerdy? Well, maybe a little. Let's see if the Bulldogs' bench branches out on Saturday.

"So the foundation in the two programs is exactly the same. We're kind of like the ugly big brother. You know, like I'm Danny DeVito and he's Arnold Schwarzenegger (from the 1988 movie Twins). And we're kind of like the Chevette and he's a Ferrari, but that's my guy.

"I love Shaka like a brother, and they've done a lot of great things, but we have the same attributes that make us a great team, too."

What's on tap: Another eight games take center stage Thursday evening, led by No. 1 overall seed Louisville taking on No. 16 North Carolina A&T in the South Regional. For clarity, a three-star game means nothing else in your life matters. Two stars means you should put your cellphone on vibrate. One star means you can watch while folding your laundry. (All times Eastern.)

***Must watch***(South Regional) No. 13 South Dakota State vs. No. 4 Michigan in Auburn Hills, Mich., 7:15 p.m (CBS): Watching South Dakota State guard Nate Wolters face off against Michigan's Trey Burke makes this one of the must-see games of the day.

***Must watch***(West Regional) No. 11 Belmont vs. No. 6 Arizona in Salt Lake City, 7:20 p.m. (TNT): This year's team is Belmont's best - and the Bruins have reached the tournament in each of the last three years and six times since 2006. Arizona will have its hands full.

*Life won't end if you miss this* (East Regional) No. 12 California vs. No. 5 UNLV in San Jose, 7:27 p.m. (truTV): How about a rematch? UNLV topped the Golden Bears 76-75 in Las Vegas on Dec. 9 thanks to a last-second bucket from Quintrell Thomas. Will this one be as close? Or will one team run away early?

**You should probably watch**(Midwest Regional) No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 8 Colorado State in Lexington, Ky., 9:20 p.m. (TBS): Missouri must get a little boost from playing deep in SEC country, but Colorado State has enough experience to not get rattled under the bright lights.

**You should probably watch**(South Regional) No. 12 Akron vs. No. 5 VCU in Auburn Hills, Mich., 9:45 p.m. (CBS): Remember when VCU was the underdog? Not tonight. The Rams are expected to care of business against the Zips.

**You should probably watch**(West Regional) No. 14 Harvard vs. No. 3 New Mexico in Salt Lake City, 9:50 p.m. (TNT): Could New Mexico be a Final Four sleeper? Meanwhile, Harvard won the Ivy League by one game over rival Princeton.

**You should probably watch**(East Regional) No. 13 Montana vs. No. 4 Syracuse in San Jose, Calif., 9:57 p.m. (truTV): Syracuse rebounded from a late-season swoon to reach the Big East title game before losing to Louisville. The Orange could be dangerous if James Southerland stays hot from deep.

Kickin' it old school: This afternoon's vintage video is of former Valparaiso guard (and current Valparaiso coach) Bryce Drew. So his team didn't move past Michigan State on Thursday. He'll always have this unforgettable moment in NCAA historyâ?¦

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